Question Car seat replacement In. Co fight and replacement options ???

My dh hit a deer on his way to work, which imo is a miracle considering this is the first time. DD's (18 mo. 26lb, 29 inches long) Scenera (mfg date of 4-13-05) and DS's (4 yo, 39 lb 37 inches tall) Natalius (mfg date of 11-12-07) were in the back seat. Neither of the kids were in their seats at the time and considering the damage I've seen in many other deer vs. car crashes, I would call our damages mild to moderate. The bumper and right front quarter are cracked and broken in numerous places and the headlight was smashed, the deer's hoof chipped the windshield and there are some dents on the hood as it bounced off it. DH was not injured and continued on to work. I drove the car to work today and it is fine, just cosmetic as far as we can tell.

I talked to Progressive, our insurance company today. They were wonderful about everything EXCEPT, the agent "reassured" me over and over, the car seats do not need to be replaced as they were unoccupied and "it's not like the car rolled". She also told me she's a mother of three, she understands my concern, but it's fine, really. I was polite and immediately called Cosco and Graco for documentation, as I know the manuals of both seats state ANY accident=replacement. I got confirmation and called her back. She says she's never heard that but if I have it in writing the will reimburse. Any advice on seeing this battle through? Any experience with Progressive?

So, replacement seats. I have to say, I am a fan of the scenera. DS loves his Natalius but I hate it. Getting the crotch strap out from under him is a huge pain. It's also very heavy and we do sometimes have to trade vehicles. However, I know he's safe and that's of course my number 1 priority. Any ideas for comperable replacements in the same price range? Should I just stick it out and get another Natalius? I don't even know if I can find a Natalius locally, I had to order his last year and we are expecting 5-10 inches of snow tonight and my older daughters have an all day cheer competition 30 miles away tomorrow. I want to replace these seats today. I won't use them under any circumstances, but I don't want to have to buy less than ideal replacements just because I need them right away.

TIA
Amy

The GN is at Target and WalMart as well as BRU, if you decide to go that route... (just bought one last week )

Scenera or Uptown/Avenue for DD. The Uptown and avenue are very similar, but with EPS foam and a higher shell so they should last a bit longer than the Scenera.

Nauti for DS, sorry.

Oh some insurance companies will pay for the replacement regardless of what you had originally, and regardless of what the new ones cost. If that is the case, maybe time for a slight upgrade? I'm thinking especially for DS as you don't like the Nauti. I know you said you want to get new seats today, maybe you can call and confirm what the ins co is going to do before you go out and buy them.

Progressive said they would pay for a comperable replacement, cost wise, if they decide to reimburse us, and then will do so when they come to get the seats.

We live in the boonies, no Target and WM is limited, and I HATE shopping there anyway. Meijer had one in stock, I checked on my lunch. After looking at it with the other options, I have to agree, the difficult crotch strap is totally worth it. Guess I have had it so long I stopped appreciating it's good qualities.

As for dd, I really like the way she fits in the Scenera and since most of our trips are fairly short, the lack of foam and padding bother me less than they would have a few years ago when we travelled greater distances. I am open to suggestions for her though, and willing to pay above what they might reimburse if needed. I just thus far haven't really had reason to change seats.

If you WM carries the EFTA in the stor I would go with it for you DD.

DustysSweety said:

I'd go for a Frontier to replace the Natalius . it will probably last longer since you can harness til 80lbs and the Natalius you can only harness til 65. And in booster mode with headrest it adjusts way higher than the Natalius does.

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For the vast majority of children, the 80-pound harness limit on the Frontier is irrelevant, because most children will outgrow it by height somewhere around 65 pounds. It's also twice the price, which may or may not matter to the OP.

I would try to go with a safety 1st avenue/uptown over a scenera for your DD- it's the same company but has a taller shell and taller harness, so it will last longer. Plus it takes up the same amount of room. It has EPS foam, which is more of a safety measure than a comfort measure (this could be important if you were in a serious accident as it is like a bicycle helmet and absorbs force).

For your son, the nautilus is probably the best bet when it comes to a high weight harness seat, though. Any other option that is comparable is easily going to be $60-$180 more.